Chapter 18 - Open-Minded

Ten years ago, from the moment I started my second life, I made a repeated vow.

Unlike my previous life where I suffered miserably and died, I would never get my hands dirty again and live off unearned income!

The reason I maintained top 10 in my entire school despite being from a wealthy family?

It’s insurance in case I can’t rely on my adoptive mother’s support.

The reason I bothered to run for student council president?

This happened because Jayden jokingly nominated me. Still, it helps with my self-introduction letter, so I just do my duty as president without complaint.

Anyway, I don’t even hope for inheriting the conglomerate family’s fortune.

Just enough support to buy one small commercial building in a bustling commercial district would be sufficient. It doesn’t even have to be prime land like Washington…!

“Please take only Samuel to such an important event. I’m fine.”

“Gabriel…”

With this, finally, at last.

I’ve eliminated the root of all the novel’s problems.

The tragic male lead Harper evolved into a dominant alpha,

Samuel has not even the slightest interest in Harper,

And I, Gabriel, have made it clear I have no thoughts of coveting my younger brother’s rice bowl.

‘All clear!’

All that’s left now is to enjoy a smooth-sailing life!

“You must be tired from work, would you like something sweet? Maybe the chocolate Harper brought as a gift earlier…”

I feel so refreshed.

Just as I was inwardly rejoicing,

“Gabriel.”

I felt a warm warmth.

“You don’t need to read the room.”

My adoptive mother gently embraced me.

“No matter what anyone says, you’re my son.”

“……”

“If you need anything, tell me. Mom will help you to the end.”

At the voice that softly brushed past my ear, I was at a loss for words for a moment.

Ambitions, the novel, the distracting thoughts that had filled my head all disappeared before I knew it.

Only after some time passed did I come to my senses and slowly nod my head.

“…Yes. I’m always grateful. Mother.”

“Mom is grateful to Gabriel too. For becoming my son.”

When I see that genuine smile… I naturally know.

My adoptive mother and adoptive father. If it’s these people, they would definitely grant me any unreasonable request.

And that it’s not just because of the debt owed to my biological mother ‘Juliana.’

‘That’s why I absolutely can’t get involved with BK Group.’

So that these foolishly kind family members can live peacefully, I can’t leave behind even a single ominous seed.

‘In the novel, Gabriel… showed all sorts of disgraceful behavior trying to take over the Group.’

I absolutely didn’t want to follow the same path.

“Spanish chocolate, it’s delicious?”

“It’s delicious.”

My adoptive mother and I each put a chocolate in our mouths.

Only crunching sounds echoed in the awkward atmosphere, then my adoptive mother suddenly raised her head and changed the subject.

“Oh right, you said Harper bought this? I should have told you this too.”

“What is it?”

“Take good care of Harper.”

“Harper? Well, yes, we get along well…”

Why is she suddenly bringing up Harper? Did she notice that things are bad between him and Samuel?

However, what my adoptive mother brought up was completely unexpected.

“Harper’s family might end up bearing a huge debt.”

“…Debt?”

“They might have to move far away soon. Harper must be having a very hard time right now, so Gabriel, you pay special attention to him.”

“……”

“Gabriel?”

Thud.

I ended up dropping the chocolate I was holding onto the table.

Harper.

Debt.

Moving.

I feel a familiar headache.

At the same time, I recalled a passage from the novel I’d forgotten.

That Harper and William were childhood friends, and that Harper moved away during middle school due to ‘certain circumstances.’

And…

[Back then, if only BK Group hadn’t kicked out our dad…]

A new line comes to mind.

[Maybe I wouldn’t have… lost my family first…!]

Fuck.

To forget something this important again.

“Um, Mother.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This is sudden, but may I ask you one favor?”

“Of course. Tell me anything.”

“Actually, the BK Group gathering. I’d like to go.”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t all clear yet.

* * *

Late evening.

On the top floor of a building where the Washington night view resembling the night sky unfolded at a glance.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

A man in a suit carefully approached the central desk and asked.

“Chairman Bailey.”

“Of course I am.”

The man called chairman was an old man with a sharp impression.

Though past sixty, his appearance was so youthful that if you just looked at his exterior, you’d believe he was a young middle-aged man—a frighteningly youthful face.

Only a few streaks of gray hair barely proved his age.

“Yasmin is one thing, but I finally get to see that face in person.”

He casually tossed two photos he was holding onto the desk.

“That insolent bastard’s bloodline.”

One was a beautiful woman with black hair and grayish-white eyes,

The other was a handsome boy who looked exactly like that woman.

It was Gabriel.

* * *

“Now, now! Everyone quiet! You’re not elementary school students anymore, are you going to keep chattering?”

When the young teacher roughly struck the blackboard with a 50cm metal ruler, the students finally shut their mouths.

He let out a deep sigh and turned his head toward the sliding door.

“Come in.”

Slide—

The door opened, and a student in school uniform walked in.

Even the child who had been secretly whispering with their neighbor shut their mouth and fixed their gaze toward the front of the classroom.

“He’s late for admission because he was abroad, so everyone get along well.”

Step, step.

With each step, golden hair sparkled in the light.

Long eyelashes. Green eyes beneath them.

However, not entirely exotic—mysterious Eastern features.

The boy standing in front of the blackboard looked straight ahead and smiled with his eyes.

“Hi. I’m Harper.”

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

“Holy shit, he’s so fucking handsome!”

Making the teacher’s guidance meaningless, Class 3 of the first year was covered with cheers and screams.

* * *

“Ah, I’m bored. Want to play soccer?”

“You do it. I’m busy.”

As I was diligently looking up this and that on my laptop, Jayden showed interest.

“What are you so busy doing anyway?”

“There’s just something.”

“Let me see. Quarterly… what? Market capitalization? Investment withdrawal… What, are you even doing stocks?”

“Not that.”

“Rich people are greedier. If you make a killing, treat me to a meal, got it?”

“What do you know?”

While we were continuing another nutritionless chat today,

“Kyaaaah!”

A scream could be heard from far away.

“What’s that?”

I looked at the scenery visible beyond the classroom window.

Something was approaching from the end of the hallway.

A golden knob stuck out prominently atop a huge mass.

“What is that? A dumpling?”

That wasn’t something like a dumpling.

It was an enormous crowd surrounding a tall blond boy.

“Gabriel! Is Gabriel here?!”

The door swung open and first-years rushed in.

The new students had dared to set foot in the third-year seniors’ territory without permission, but no one thought to stop them.

Because they were absorbed in admiring Harper’s beauty.

“Wow! It’s really Gabriel! Hello!”

“Harper? Why are you…”

“Oh right, I shouldn’t get close!”

Heavy pheromones pressed down on my entire body once again.

If there was any silver lining, it was that the weather was nice so the windows were wide open. It was more bearable than when I was in a sealed room.

“Everyone. Sorry! I’m going to talk with Gabriel for a bit, so can you wait in the classroom?”

“Harper, you know the president?”

“Yeah. We’re super close, right?”

At that moment, both first-years and third-years froze.

Did he mispronounce ‘close’ as ‘thick/intimate’? But Harper’s English was too fluent for that.

“But you’re the president, Gabriel! Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Harper, you’re wearing this school’s uniform…”

“How is it? Does it suit me?”

“Why did you come to Abraham Lincoln Middle School?”

“Obviously I followed Gabriel!”

At the sight of the two looking so close, all the spectators held their breath.

“You didn’t say anything about that.”

“Surprise~”

“…I have a lot to say, but if you have business, send a message. Why come all the way here?”

“Why! I wanted to see Gabriel’s face at school just once!”

Harper, who had been acting cute, suddenly continued in a sullen tone.

“I’m lonely, Gabriel… Because I became a dominant alpha, you can’t play with me anymore.”

Play? The two of them?

At Harper’s words with moistened eyes, everyone’s attention focused.

“Now you can’t even hug me…”

Hug?

“If only I had been a beta, or at least just an omega, it would’ve been better…”

Omega?

At the consecutively exploding bombs, no one dared to even breathe.

“Y-yo. Gabriel.”

Jayden suddenly poked my side.

“If you had a foreign boyfriend, you should’ve said so earlier.”

“……”

“I’m open-minded, so I respect love between alphas too… Urk.”

I immediately fed him a light hook to the solar plexus.